The Path to Getting Published

In a previous post I gave an illustration about 3 paths, here I will explain those 3 paths and what each path means to you.

The first path is rocky and the ground appears to be hard there are a lot of obstacles. The travelers are a few, but they are not looking back, there is no indication at all that you will get any help from them. On this path you cannot see around the turns and there is a gatekeeper.

The first path depicts big publishers or the big business of getting published. These entities are the gatekeepers or use to be gatekeepers. However there power has weakened because of the the digital age. Before if you wanted to get published you had to go through them.

This process was and still is fraught with obstacles and if you are not a famous writer that has already breached or shattered the bestseller charts. You will be barely recognized by them as a new writer if at all.

When you have completed your manuscript, you can send it to them, but be prepared to wait with no end in sight. If you receive a letter stating, Your manuscript has been returned for the following reasons, ... do not be discouraged, just send it to another major publisher or send it back to the same publisher.

This time add your own letter, stating that you do not except there critique of your work. Also state that your work is of the highest quality and full of substance, well adapted, and most compelling, the type of material the public has been waiting for. I would ask that you review it again.

The upside is if you are fortunate enough to get an audience with them and they like your work. The big publishing companies will take care of you.

Be prepared to receive a smaller royalty for your work. Lawyers, editors, artwork, cover designers, type and document setters, marketers, etc... must get paid.

Surely you understand that everyone involved has to put food on their tables and a Mercedes in the garage.

Recommendation, still send your work to them, but proceed to the next choice in the article while you wait.

The second path looks smoother with less rocks there is some shade along the way. There is no gatekeeper, and there are many individuals with there hands out ready to help you, however it will cost you to make this journey. You will have to pay a toll, the amount of the toll is not clear. Even though this is the case there are many on this path.

The second path is the done for you process, where there are plenty of people and self publishing companies ready to help you. This list includes individuals working from there humble abodes to small companies and now the major publishers are even getting involved. They offer a wide range of services, which I mentioned on the previous page.

As I mentioned on the previous page, they are eager to help you, but not without charging you for there services.

If you are not technically inclined or are having trouble navigating the digital age we are now living in. I would say, go ahead and read up on some of these companies and individuals, but keep your hand on your pocket. There fees could rack up and though you will get your works published, you may end up in a deep whole as far as your finances are concerned.

Recommendation, proceed with caution when taking this path, not everything that glitters is gold.

The third path seems to be blocked, but when you look around the obstacle blocking the way, you can see an end in sight. Like the first path you can see a few travelers but they are waving at you to come on.

The third path can be challenging, and the obstacles that are in your way is self doubt, lack of knowledge of how self publishing works, laziness, no willingness to do for yourself, etc. The obstacle is you, you are standing in your own way of introducing your works of Art to the waiting audience.

The upside, there are people just waiting to help you for free or next to nothing, in fact the digital age has left footsteps all over the internet of how to become a do it yourself, self publisher.

There are free articles on how to write, how to edit, how to design a book cover, how to turn your books or works into a digital or eBook, how to setup your book for print on demand, how to market your book. The list goes on and on.

Now, you are thinking I do not have time to do all of that research, I have my hands full.

Do you think that will ever change? Do you think you will, one day wakeup and all of a sudden, you have unlimited amounts of time to do the research that could possibly make your dreams come true?

While you are thinking about that question.

Here I will give you step by step the process that I have taken to become published.

1. Write your book, just start writing, if you complete the first chapter, that will give you the momentum to continue and complete the hardest step of all.
2. Have someone you trust to read it, and then have someone else you trust to read it, rinse and repeat. Then make the corrections needed and read it again for yourself out loud. I tell people I am a story teller not an english major. If you really want your work to be flawless send it to companies that do editing, but it will cost you. The majority charge by the word, but some will give you a flat rate base on the body of work and how many words there are. Even then it may not be perfect, read the fine print or special clauses before excepting there help.
3. If you are using Microsoft word you can find instructions easily on the internet as to how to turn your manuscript into an eBook. If you are using Apple pages you will find the process to do this also on the internet otherwise use iBooks Author. Apple also provides the directions on how to prepare your book to sell on iBooks store. You could also follow the directions on Amazon's site on how to prepare your book to sell as an eBook on Amazon.
4. To turn your work into a paperback or hard cover will require the help of a print on demand company. I use Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) for paperback printing the process is easy and Amazon also provides all of the caveats without having to pay upfront for there services. I was able to produce my paperback for free, receive an ISBN for free and they also help you to convert my file to an eBook.  I use Barnes and Noble Press for my hard cover printing. Their process is similar to Amazon and Barnes and Noble Press will provide a free ISBN they will also help you convert your file to an eBook. You will commit some of your profits for your book to Amazon and Barnes and Noble Press. The charges are for the use of there sales and distribution channel. You will have the opportunity to purchase author copies at a reduced price from both companies. Take advantage of these copies to promote and market your book. Use these author copies for book shows, author signings and selling from the trunk of your car.
5. Marketing, you should have already started marketing your book, soon after you made the decision to become published. Setup a blog, or social media page, or website, telling others about your book or work of Art. This will later become your major marketing tool so please give consideration to this fact. If you do not own the website where you're marketing information is contained, you could lose it. This could be a blogger account, a Facebook page, a Twitter page, a free WordPress site. All of these have the right to remove your page. So make sure not to put your eggs in one basket. Do not forget the value of word of mouth.

These five steps will get you on the path to getting published.

Yes, we could break each of the steps down and each step would have its own set of steps. If you do some research you will find that someone has already done this for you. For an example read Write Promote Publish Advertise Sell Market.

If you found this article by searching the web please read the previous article by clicking the link below.